HP EliteBook 14" 840 G8 Review

A refurbished business laptop with a surprisingly strong CPU for $620. It's one of the better portable machines we've scored, but its graphics and storage are weak. Best for office work on a budget.

The HP EliteBook 840 G8 is a refurbished business laptop that packs a punch for its size and price. At $620, you're getting an Intel i7-1165G7 CPU, 16GB of RAM, and a 14-inch 1080p touchscreen in a package that weighs just 1.32kg. It's not a gaming machine, but for general work and portability, the numbers look solid. Our scoring puts it in the 83rd percentile for compact laptops, meaning it's one of the better small machines in our database. The catch? It's refurbished, which pulls its reliability score down to the 29th percentile.

Performance-wise, this laptop is built for business tasks, not gaming or heavy creative work. The Intel i7-1165G7 CPU lands in the 79th percentile, which is well above average. That means you'll handle spreadsheets, video calls, and everyday multitasking without a hiccup. The 16GB of DDR4 RAM is about average, sitting in the 41st percentile, but it's plenty for most office software. The integrated Intel Iris Xe Graphics, however, is a weak spot, scoring in the 19th percentile. You won't be playing modern games on this thing. The 256GB SSD is also underwhelming, ranking in the 25th percentile, so you'll need to manage your storage carefully.

At $620, this refurbished EliteBook offers a compelling price-for-specs ratio. You're getting a capable i7 CPU, a decent amount of RAM, and premium business features like a touchscreen and Windows 11 Pro in a very portable chassis. Compared to buying a new laptop with similar specs, you'd likely pay several hundred dollars more. The trade-off is the refurbished nature and the smaller storage drive, but if your budget is tight and you need a portable work machine, this deal makes sense.

Let's put it against some peers. The Apple MacBook Pro with an M5 chip will crush it in CPU performance and battery life, but you'll pay over $2000 for a new one. The ASUS ROG Zephyrus G14 is a gaming beast with a great screen, but it's heavier, more expensive, and not built for business durability. Among other business laptops, like a new Lenovo ThinkPad, you'd get better reliability and possibly more storage, but again, at a much higher price. This EliteBook sits in a sweet spot: better CPU performance than many budget new laptops, with more premium features, but you accept the refurbished risk and limited storage.

Skip this if you're a gamer or a creative professional who needs GPU power. Its graphics performance is a real letdown. Also, if you need lots of local storage, the 256GB SSD will feel cramped quickly. And if you absolutely need a brand-new, worry-free machine, the below-average reliability score on this refurbished unit is a red flag.

If you need a lightweight, capable laptop for office work, school, or general use and your budget is around $600, this refurbished EliteBook 840 G8 is a strong data-backed choice. Its CPU performance is impressive for the price, and the portability is top-notch. However, if you need to store lots of files, play games, or have zero tolerance for potential refurbished quirks, you should look elsewhere. For the right user, this is a smart, numbers-driven buy.